DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
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Claims 1-3 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-3 of U.S. Patent No. 12,348,722 in view of Li et al. (US 2017/0208336 A1, referred to herein as “Li”).
Claim 1 of Instant Application
1. A decoding apparatus for an image decoding, the decoding apparatus comprising:
a memory; and
at least one processor connected to the memory, the at least one processor configured to:
derive a context index for a split flag syntax element based on split availability information of a current block;
determine a context model based on the derived context index;
decode a value of the split flag syntax element based on context-based adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC) by using the determined context model;
derive a current coding unit from the current block based on the value of the split flag syntax element;
derive a predicted block based on inter-prediction or intra-prediction for the current coding unit; and
generate a reconstructed block based on the predicted block,
wherein the split flag syntax element comprises:
a directional split flag representing whether the current block is to be vertically split,
wherein the split availability information comprises: a binary tree (BT) horizontal split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be horizontally split based on a BT structure, a ternary tree (TT) horizontal split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be horizontally split based on a TT structure, a BT vertical split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be vertically split based on the BT structure, and a TT vertical split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be vertically split based on the TT structure,
wherein the context index for the directional split flag is derived based on a first value and a second value,
wherein the first value is derived based on a value of the BT horizontal split available flag information and a value of the TT horizontal split available flag information, and
wherein the second value is derived based on a value of the BT vertical split available flag information and a value of the TT vertical split available flag information.
Claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 12,348,722
1. An image decoding method performed by a decoding apparatus, the method comprising:
deriving a context index for a split flag syntax element based on split availability information of a current block;
determining a context model based on the derived context index;
decoding a value of the split flag syntax element based on context-based adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC) by using the determined context model;
deriving a current coding unit from the current block based on the value of the split flag syntax element;
deriving a predicted block based on inter-prediction or intra-prediction for the current coding unit; and
generating a reconstructed block based on the predicted block,
wherein the split flag syntax element comprises:
a directional split flag representing whether the current block is to be vertically split,
wherein the split availability information comprises: a binary tree (BT) horizontal split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be horizontally split based on a BT structure, a ternary tree (TT) horizontal split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be horizontally split based on a TT structure, a BT vertical split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be vertically split based on the BT structure, and a TT vertical split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be vertically split based on the TT structure,
wherein the context index for the directional split flag is derived based on a first value and a second value,
wherein the first value is derived based on a value of the BT horizontal split available flag information and a value of the TT horizontal split available flag information, and
wherein the second value is derived based on a value of the BT vertical split available flag information and a value of the TT vertical split available flag information.
Table 1.
Regarding claim 1, the claim recites analogous limitations to claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 12,348,722, as shown in Table 1.
Claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 12,348,722 does not explicitly disclose a memory and implementation via at least one processor connected to the memory.
However, Li discloses a memory and implementation via at least one processor connected to the memory (Li: paragraphs [0188]-[0191], disclosing implementation via memory and associated processor).
At the time the application was effectively filed, it would have been obvious for a person having ordinary skill in the art to use the memory and processor implementation of Li with the decoding method and apparatus of claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 12,348,722.
One would have been motivated to modify claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 12,348,722 in this manner in order to flexibly implement coding functions in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof (Li: paragraph [0188]).
Regarding claim 2, claim 2 of U.S. Patent 12,348,722 in view of Li discloses the same or similar limitations for the same reasons as discussed with claim 1, above.
Regarding claim 3, claim 3 of U.S. Patent 12,348,722 in view of Li discloses the same or similar limitations for the same reasons as discussed with claim 1, above.
Claims 1-3 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-3 of U.S. Patent No. 12,003,726. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because they recite the same or similar limitations as shown, for claim 1 as an example, in Table 2 below.
Claim 1 of Instant Application
1. A decoding apparatus for an image decoding, the decoding apparatus comprising:
a memory; and
at least one processor connected to the memory, the at least one processor configured to:
derive a context index for a split flag syntax element based on split availability information of a current block;
determine a context model based on the derived context index;
decode a value of the split flag syntax element based on context-based adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC) by using the determined context model;
derive a current coding unit from the current block based on the value of the split flag syntax element;
derive a predicted block based on inter-prediction or intra-prediction for the current coding unit; and
generate a reconstructed block based on the predicted block,
wherein the split flag syntax element comprises:
a directional split flag representing whether the current block is to be vertically split,
wherein the split availability information comprises: a binary tree (BT) horizontal split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be horizontally split based on a BT structure, a ternary tree (TT) horizontal split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be horizontally split based on a TT structure, a BT vertical split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be vertically split based on the BT structure, and a TT vertical split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be vertically split based on the TT structure,
wherein the context index for the directional split flag is derived based on a first value and a second value,
wherein the first value is derived based on a value of the BT horizontal split available flag information and a value of the TT horizontal split available flag information, and
wherein the second value is derived based on a value of the BT vertical split available flag information and a value of the TT vertical split available flag information.
Claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 12,003,726
An image decoding apparatus for an image decoding, the image decoding apparatus comprising:
a memory; and
at least one processor connected to the memory, the at least one processor configured to:
derive a context index for a split flag syntax element based on split availability information of a current block;
determine a context model based on the derived context index;
decode a value of the split flag syntax element based on context-based adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC) by using the determined context model;
derive a current coding unit from the current block based on the value of the split flag syntax element;
derive a predicted block based on inter-prediction or intra-prediction for the current coding unit; and
generate a reconstructed block based on the predicted block,
wherein the split flag syntax element comprises:
a directional split flag representing whether the current block is to be vertically split,
wherein the split availability information comprises: a binary tree (BT) horizontal split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be horizontally split based on a BT structure, a ternary tree (TT) horizontal split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be horizontally split based on a TT structure, a BT vertical split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be vertically split based on the BT structure, and a TT vertical split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be vertically split based on the TT structure,
wherein the context index for the directional split flag is derived based on all of the BT horizontal split available flag information, the TT horizontal split available flag information, the BT vertical split available flag information, and the TT vertical split available flag information,
wherein the BT horizontal split available flag information is different from the TT horizontal split available flag information, and
wherein the BT vertical split available flag information is different from the TT vertical split available flag information.
Table 2.
Claims 1-3 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-3 of U.S. Patent No. 12,010,314. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because they recite the same or similar limitations as shown, for claim 1 as an example, in Table 3 below.
Claim 1 of Instant Application
1. A decoding apparatus for an image decoding, the decoding apparatus comprising:
a memory; and
at least one processor connected to the memory, the at least one processor configured to:
derive a context index for a split flag syntax element based on split availability information of a current block;
determine a context model based on the derived context index;
decode a value of the split flag syntax element based on context-based adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC) by using the determined context model;
derive a current coding unit from the current block based on the value of the split flag syntax element;
derive a predicted block based on inter-prediction or intra-prediction for the current coding unit; and
generate a reconstructed block based on the predicted block,
wherein the split flag syntax element comprises:
a directional split flag representing whether the current block is to be vertically split,
wherein the split availability information comprises: a binary tree (BT) horizontal split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be horizontally split based on a BT structure, a ternary tree (TT) horizontal split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be horizontally split based on a TT structure, a BT vertical split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be vertically split based on the BT structure, and a TT vertical split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be vertically split based on the TT structure,
wherein the context index for the directional split flag is derived based on a first value and a second value,
wherein the first value is derived based on a value of the BT horizontal split available flag information and a value of the TT horizontal split available flag information, and
wherein the second value is derived based on a value of the BT vertical split available flag information and a value of the TT vertical split available flag information.
Claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 12,010,314
A decoding apparatus for an image decoding, the decoding apparatus comprising:
a memory; and
at least one processor connected to the memory, the at least one processor configured to:
derive a context index for a split flag syntax element based on split availability information of a current block;
determine a context model based on the derived context index;
decode a value of the split flag syntax element based on context-based adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC) by using the determined context model;
derive a current coding unit from the current block based on the value of the split flag syntax element;
derive a predicted block based on inter-prediction or intra-prediction for the current coding unit; and
generate a reconstructed block based on the predicted block,
wherein the split flag syntax element comprises:
a directional split flag representing whether the current block is to be vertically split,
wherein the split availability information comprises: a binary tree (BT) horizontal split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be horizontally split based on a BT structure, a ternary tree (TT) horizontal split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be horizontally split based on a TT structure, a BT vertical split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be vertically split based on the BT structure, and a TT vertical split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be vertically split based on the TT structure,
wherein the context index for the directional split flag is derived based on the BT horizontal split available flag information, the TT horizontal split available flag information, the BT vertical split available flag information, and the TT vertical split available flag information,
wherein the context index for the directional split flag is derived based on a first value and a second value,
wherein the first value is derived based on a value of the BT horizontal split available flag information and a value of the TT horizontal split available flag information, and
wherein the second value is derived based on a value of the BT vertical split available flag information and a value of the TT vertical split available flag information.
Table 3.
Claims 1-3 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-3 of U.S. Patent No. 11,665,349 in view of Li.
Claim 1 of Instant Application
1. A decoding apparatus for an image decoding, the decoding apparatus comprising:
a memory; and
at least one processor connected to the memory, the at least one processor configured to:
derive a context index for a split flag syntax element based on split availability information of a current block;
determine a context model based on the derived context index;
decode a value of the split flag syntax element based on context-based adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC) by using the determined context model;
derive a current coding unit from the current block based on the value of the split flag syntax element;
derive a predicted block based on inter-prediction or intra-prediction for the current coding unit; and
generate a reconstructed block based on the predicted block,
wherein the split flag syntax element comprises:
a directional split flag representing whether the current block is to be vertically split,
wherein the split availability information comprises: a binary tree (BT) horizontal split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be horizontally split based on a BT structure, a ternary tree (TT) horizontal split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be horizontally split based on a TT structure, a BT vertical split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be vertically split based on the BT structure, and a TT vertical split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be vertically split based on the TT structure,
wherein the context index for the directional split flag is derived based on a first value and a second value,
wherein the first value is derived based on a value of the BT horizontal split available flag information and a value of the TT horizontal split available flag information, and
wherein the second value is derived based on a value of the BT vertical split available flag information and a value of the TT vertical split available flag information.
Claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 11,665,349
A picture decoding method performed by a decoding apparatus, the method comprising:
deriving a context index for a split flag syntax element based on split availability information of a current block;
determining a context model based on the derived context index;
decoding a value of the split flag syntax element based on context-based adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC) by using the determined context model;
deriving a current coding unit from the current block based on the value of the split flag syntax element;
deriving a predicted block based on inter-prediction or intra-prediction for the current coding unit; and
generating a reconstructed block based on the predicted block,
wherein the split flag syntax element comprises:
a directional split flag representing whether the current block is to be vertically split,
wherein the split availability information comprises: a binary tree (BT) horizontal split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be horizontally split based on a BT structure, a ternary tree (TT) horizontal split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be horizontally split based on a TT structure, a BT vertical split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be vertically split based on the BT structure, and a TT vertical split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be vertically split based on the TT structure,
wherein the context index for the directional split flag is derived based on the BT horizontal split available flag information, the TT horizontal split available flag information, the BT vertical split available flag information, and the TT vertical split available flag information,
wherein the context index for the directional split flag is derived based on a first value and a second value,
wherein the first value is derived based on a value of the BT horizontal split available flag information and a value of the TT horizontal split available flag information, and
wherein the second value is derived based on a value of the BT vertical split available flag information and a value of the TT vertical split available flag information.
Table 4.
Regarding claim 1, the claim recites analogous limitations to claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 11,665,349, as shown in Table 4.
Claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 11,665,349 does not explicitly disclose a memory and implementation via at least one processor connected to the memory.
However, Li discloses a memory and implementation via at least one processor connected to the memory (Li: paragraphs [0188]-[0191], disclosing implementation via memory and associated processor).
At the time the application was effectively filed, it would have been obvious for a person having ordinary skill in the art to use the memory and processor implementation of Li with the decoding method and apparatus of claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 11,665,349.
One would have been motivated to modify claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 11,665,349 in this manner in order to flexibly implement coding functions in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof (Li: paragraph [0188]).
Regarding claim 2, claim 2 of U.S. Patent 11,665,349 in view of Li discloses the same or similar limitations for the same reasons as discussed with claim 1, above.
Regarding claim 3, claim 3 of U.S. Patent 11,665,349 in view of Li discloses the same or similar limitations for the same reasons as discussed with claim 1, above.
Claims 1-3 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-3 of U.S. Patent No. 11,330,267 in view of Li.
Claim 1 of Instant Application
1. A decoding apparatus for an image decoding, the decoding apparatus comprising:
a memory; and
at least one processor connected to the memory, the at least one processor configured to:
derive a context index for a split flag syntax element based on split availability information of a current block;
determine a context model based on the derived context index;
decode a value of the split flag syntax element based on context-based adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC) by using the determined context model;
derive a current coding unit from the current block based on the value of the split flag syntax element;
derive a predicted block based on inter-prediction or intra-prediction for the current coding unit; and
generate a reconstructed block based on the predicted block,
wherein the split flag syntax element comprises:
a directional split flag representing whether the current block is to be vertically split,
wherein the split availability information comprises: a binary tree (BT) horizontal split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be horizontally split based on a BT structure, a ternary tree (TT) horizontal split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be horizontally split based on a TT structure, a BT vertical split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be vertically split based on the BT structure, and a TT vertical split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be vertically split based on the TT structure,
wherein the context index for the directional split flag is derived based on a first value and a second value,
wherein the first value is derived based on a value of the BT horizontal split available flag information and a value of the TT horizontal split available flag information, and
wherein the second value is derived based on a value of the BT vertical split available flag information and a value of the TT vertical split available flag information.
Claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 11,330,267
A picture decoding method performed by a decoding apparatus, the method comprising:
deriving a context index for a split flag syntax element based on split availability information of a current block;
determining a context model based on the derived context index;
decoding a value of the split flag syntax element based on context-based adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC) by using the determined context model;
deriving a current coding unit from the current block based on the value of the split flag syntax element;
deriving a predicted block based on inter-prediction or intra-prediction for the current coding unit; and
generating a reconstructed block based on the predicted block,
wherein the split flag syntax element comprises: a directional split flag representing whether the current block is to be vertically split,
wherein the split availability information comprises: a binary tree (BT) horizontal split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be horizontally split based on a BT structure, a ternary tree (TT) horizontal split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be horizontally split based on a TT structure, a BT vertical split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be vertically split based on the BT structure, and a TT vertical split available flag information related to whether the current block is allowed to be vertically split based on the TT structure,
wherein the context index for the directional split flag is derived based on all of the BT horizontal split available flag information, the TT horizontal split available flag information, the BT vertical split available flag information, and the TT vertical split available flag information,
wherein the BT horizontal split available flag information is different from the TT horizontal split available flag information, and
wherein the BT vertical split available flag information is different from the TT vertical split available flag information.
Table 5.
Regarding claim 1, the claim recites analogous limitations to claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 11,330,267, as shown in Table 5.
Claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 11,330,267does not explicitly disclose a memory and implementation via at least one processor connected to the memory.
However, Li discloses a memory and implementation via at least one processor connected to the memory (Li: paragraphs [0188]-[0191], disclosing implementation via memory and associated processor).
At the time the application was effectively filed, it would have been obvious for a person having ordinary skill in the art to use the memory and processor implementation of Li with the decoding method and apparatus of claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 11,330,267.
One would have been motivated to modify claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 11,330,267in this manner in order to flexibly implement coding functions in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof (Li: paragraph [0188]).
Regarding claim 2, claim 2 of U.S. Patent 11,330,267in view of Li discloses the same or similar limitations for the same reasons as discussed with claim 1, above.
Regarding claim 3, claim 3 of U.S. Patent 11,330,267in view of Li discloses the same or similar limitations for the same reasons as discussed with claim 1, above.
Conclusion
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CHRISTOPHER T. BRANIFF
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2484
/CHRISTOPHER BRANIFF/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2484
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